Source Code-Review

Here is another movie that will certainly intrigue some and invariably confuse others.

It is intriguing because it ultimately deals with the concept of a parallel universe. It is confusing because, in addition to the hard to comprehend notion of alternate universe, the movie puts some additional spin of one person dying in one universe taking over the life of another, and communicating between those two universes. Intrigued or confused?

In the movie, Jake Gyllenhall (Love and Other Drugs, Prince of Persia, Brokeback Mountain) plays Colter Stevens, a decorated chopper pilot who, without his own recollection, becomes part of a top-secret program called Source Code.

Colterâ€™s mission is to help prevent a terrorist attack that would make 9/11 look like childâ€™s play. To do so, he has to â€œre-liveâ€ the last eight minutes of the life of a man who died in a prior terror attack and look for clues. What makes it interesting (or confusing?) is that he can go back and re-live those last eight minutes more than once and behave differently each time in order to discover what he needs. What also makes it interesting is that he is also simultaneously trying to unravel how he ended up in the mission to begin with.

Overall, for those who are intrigued, it is pretty good flick that is quite different from the usual output from Hollywood. The pace and action are more than sufficient to keep viewers from going to the bathroom and Jake Gyllenhallâ€™s good acting adds to the filmâ€™s impact.

The lack of scientific basis doesnâ€™t hamper in any way the experience of intrigued viewers, who immerse themselves in the unfolding plot. Theyâ€™d be more than happy to wilfully suspend their disbelief â€“ a hallmark of any good movie, especially a science fiction one and go along with the ride. Questions such as, â€œthatâ€™s impossibleâ€ or â€œno way that can happenâ€ donâ€™t really creep in as the viewer slowly empathizes with the questions bugging Colter Stevens and his mission. For the confused, perhaps that would be the key to better enjoying the movie.